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Post by tor on Feb 13, 2024 17:26:27 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/Lkx6tcS/alder~png "Okay. You can do this. You'll be fine. He's just a kit." Alderbranch's reflection twitched his ear at him, and Alderbranch sighed. "Right. An apprentice." The look in his reflection's eyes told him that wasn't enough. "My apprentice." Finally, his reflection seemed satisfied. Alderbanch held his own gaze a little longer, then tore himself away from the river, knowing he wouldn't find any solutions there. Besides, the time for solutions was over. He was Dewpaw's mentor now. Nothing to do about it except suck it up and teach the poor kid. The thought wasn't as anxiety inducing as it was a few days ago, when Hailstar first broke the news, but it still made Alderbranch's pelt prickle with deep anxiety. If he dwelled on it too long, it made the branches overhead feel looming, like claws slowly closing in on him. It made the fog, usually a familiar comfort of MistClan's forest, feel like it was drowning him. It made each step harder than the last. MistClan's territory between the river and camp passed by in a blur. Alderbranch kept trying to focus on landmarks to keep the anxiety at bay - the tree where he caught his first squirrel, a small burrow his sisters used to hide in, the fallen log he first practiced weaving by. It was actually almost working, at least until MistClan's camp rose into view. No going back now. Alderbranch settled by the entrance to camp, trying to look cheerful as the sun climbed higher in the sky, slowly burning away the thinnest bits of mist. Dewpaw would meet him here soon. |
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Post by Jaecarys on Feb 20, 2024 11:10:28 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/DwvMzfQ/Dewboy~png He was gonna be there! He said he would, wouldn’t he? He was on time ‘n all, Alderbranch was just early. Yeah! That was it. The wiry apprentice bounded toward camp, paws devouring the ground at a swift pace. He hadn’t wandered far, never did, hardly a minute outside so he could lounge in peace, away from Cloudpaw and Swanpaw. His tail waved as he wriggled under a wall of bracken toward the back of camp and raced through the clearing. He received a sneer when he just barely swerved around one apprentice, and a surprised curse as he darted under the legs of a warrior with a breathless sorry!. He spotted Alderbranch at the camp entrance and leaped a step, then slid and staggered to a halt before his mentor. Just in time! See? “Alderbranch! Ye ready?” He was breathless, wearing a lopsided grin. He shook out his disheveled silver pelt and stood up tall—which was very much not tall at all. “We’s gotta jus take a look round the territory, yeah? I’s ready as ever.” Nevermind that Lichenflight had already hauled him about on a tour. Wasn’t relevant, right? It’d be different with his mentor ‘n all. Real official-like, and he promised Mum he’d put his best paw forward. He could manage that much, yeah? He hoped Alderbranch would be easy on him anyhow. |
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Post by tor on Feb 21, 2024 8:49:18 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/Lkx6tcS/alder~png Alderbranch allowed himself to relax with the knowledge that his apprentice was tardy. It wasn't a damning trait by any means - Alderbranch himself had been tardy nearly every day it felt like, at least until Hailstar had managed to work some sense into him. Maybe he could view it as a relief that Hailstar's son was a little like him. And then Dewpaw came skidding in, staggering to an inelegant halt in front of Alderbranch and drawing an amused smile over his face. Okay, so maybe they weren't that much alike. Alderbranch didn't think he ever had this much chaotic energy. Still, Dewpaw's excitement kept him calm. Relieved. He didn't know what he'd do with an apprentice as difficult as he'd once been. "Good morning," he said, trying to seem cheerful but calm in hopes that it would help slow Dewpaw down. "I'm ready. You wanna catch your breath first?"It was just meant as a tease. Alderbranch flicked his tail in indication for Dewpaw to follow as he set out at a slow pace out of camp. Frequently, he turned his gaze back to his apprentice, making sure Dewpaw hadn't hurt himself in his excitement. "Y'know, I wasn't half as excited as you were when I went on my first territory walk," he said. "I told Hailstar back then, 'it's all just wet forest.'" He chuckled. "Your dad gave me an earful for that one." And he was glad for it. "How much of our wet forest have you seen already, bud?" |
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Post by Jaecarys on Apr 5, 2024 11:03:16 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/DwvMzfQ/Dewboy~png “Good morning.” He didn’t seem all that put off. Entertained even! He could work with that. “I’m ready. You wanna catch your breath first?” Dewpaw puffed out his lips and gave an exaggerated shake of his head. ”Seems ta be always right outta reach, so might as well get on with it!”Alderbranch gave a flick of his tail, and Dew hopped after him, out into their territory. A little thrill rippled through him. He’d been out and about with Nettlefang a few moons ago, but that jaunt was a secret. This felt like freedom. He bobbed his head with a silly grin whenever his mentor looked back at him. "Y'know, I wasn't half as excited as you were when I went on my first territory walk," he said. "I told Hailstar back then, 'it's all just wet forest.'" He wasn’t wrong, but Dew kept his trap shut. "Your dad gave me an earful for that one. How much of our wet forest have you seen already, bud?" Dad. He hid his frown with a rapid shake of his ears. He was probly the only sorry sucker of the litter that didn’t get much of old pop’s attention. Couldn’t blame him really, he was the scrawniest and least responsible, as Mum put it. Pah, bleeding stars. He was the fun one! ‘Least he got Pop’s old apprentice. That was somethin’, right? ”Been all the way out to the Lightin’ Tree at the least!” he said, bouncing up beside his mentor. ”’Least I think so. Ol’ Nettlefang, she found me round the camp walls and took me.” His ears warmed a little with a sheepish smirk. ”Don’t tell her I told you.” |
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Post by tor on Apr 6, 2024 20:00:25 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/Lkx6tcS/alder~png Alderbranch's nose twitched in delight at how Dewpaw described his breath. The kid was full of poetry, whether he knew it or not. For a moment, he worried Dewpaw would be too clever for him. Would he struggle to keep up as a mentor? To keep himself interesting, or to keep training engaging? Taking a deep breath, Alderbranch tried to remind himself that he didn't need to worry about any of that today. Dewpaw was new to this, just as he was. In these early moons of working together, anything he had to show the young tom would be interesting. "Been all the way out to the Lightin' Tree at the least!" From the way Dewpaw spoke, much older than his six moons implied, Alderbranch thought he had to be spending a lot of time with the elders. Or with Lichenflight. Or both. "The Lightning Tree, huh?" He tilted his head as if deep in thought. Really, it did surprise him - the times he remembered leaving camp as a kit were few, and he'd never gone very far. He certainly hadn't been escorted by a fellow clan cat anywhere. Cheeky. "How about you lead me there, then," he suggested, curious to see how confident Dewpaw might feel navigating through the territory. "And after that, I'll take you a little further. Maybe to the border?" Was that too far? Oh, StarClan help him if he got Hailstar's son in trouble because the decided to visit the border. Maybe they'd go to PraireClan's border. It was farther, but less dangerous. "PrairieClan's meadows are pretty in the snow." |
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